On The Socialist Paradise Of Hugo Chavez

Venezuela will switch off lights for hours at a time in Caracas and other cities such as oil town Maracaibo in planned blackouts to tackle power shortages that threaten President Hugo Chavez’s support.

Officials announced the nationwide electricity rationing lasting at least until May on Tuesday and said even schools and small health clinics would be hit in South America’s top oil exporter.

Venezuela mostly depends on hydroelectricity for its power and has been hard hit by a drought Chavez blames on the El Nino weather phenomenon.

The weather ain’t exactly the chief culprit here:

Critics blame the government for not investing enough in the national grid since Chavez took office 11 years ago.

The criticism makes sense. There are lots of other countries in Latin America that share Venezuela’s climate and experience its weather patterns. But they don’t have to ration electricity. Venezuela does.